Breakwater devices of all types, sizes and shapes have been devised heretofore. In many instances, it is permissible to build or erect a stone, rock or mud embankment to serve as a breakwater. This is not usually feasible if the bottom is quite deep. When the water is deep, the depth of the water militates against construction of a bottom supported breakwater. If cost is no object, it is possible to build fixed, framed structures which are bottom supported to serve as a breakwater, even in deep water. A framework can be erected on upstanding pilings and the like. However, this also has a limitation which is, in part, related to its cost and complexity and another limit which is also related to its fixed nature. If the tidal fluctuations are sizable, the rise and fall of the tide may completely submerge the apparatus, or, otherwise, the framework will stand taller than the largest expected wave.
The present invention, however, is different from the foregoing structures. It is a floating breakwater apparatus. It floats at a tethered location and is, therefore, always positioned at the top of the water at an elevation selected to break up the wave action even up to the largest expected wave. This top water location is advantageous in that it is able to break up the wave action of any size wave up to the maximum expected wave crest. It is the kind of breakwater that can easily be deployed around a yacht basin or the like. Moreover, it avoids cost limitations intrinsically found in fixed breakwaters in deep water. They are usually so expensive that a small craft marina cannot afford their cost.
At some coastal locations, it is hard to find a usable and accessible yacht basin location which will shelter a number of small vessels. Small vessels particularly include sportscraft, fishing boats, commercial shrimpers, sailboats for pleasure and the like. These small boats are typically berthed together at a yacht basin which should be ideally close to the open water and, yet, which should be out of the traffic of larger vessels. Since larger vessels command so much more area in a bay or harbor, the pleasure craft and other small boats are sometimes left begging. The present invention assists in construction of yacht basins for innumerable small craft at locations not otherwise usable as yacht basins.
The present apparatus is superior to floating pontoon breakwaters. This type of breakwater is somewhat transparent to the wave front. While a wave is visible as a top located crest and valley, its energy also extends well below the water surface, having a depth of many meters. The wave energy is distributed from top to bottom in a known relationship. The energy of the wave is not fully and effectively intercepted by a floating pontoon breakwater. Rather, the portion of the wave passing beneath the floating pontoon breakwater is sufficient to reconstitute a significant portion of the wave after passing beneath the breakwater. Simply removing the crest of the wave is inadequate to form a breakwater.
The fixed type of breakwater is sometimes a pollution trap. Sediment will enter the breakwater with a tidal change and thereafter settle to the bottom. This occurs in the breakwater area and collects until the sheltered area requires dredging. The breakwater of this invention overcomes this problem by permitting water to flow beneath it and into the breakwater area to keep it flushed. Sediment does not accumulate in a manner exceeding the rate of accumulation for the nearby area. The pollution and sedimentation problem mentioned above is, therefore, avoided.